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Montgomery Plant

Safety EngagementGM Melvin Yates June 2017

Montgomery Alabama Westrock Team

WestRock – Values

• 1984 Joined US Air Force (1984 – 1991)

• 1992 Worked with Family Business (couldn’t stand Aunt Darlene)

• 1993 Got in box business with Georgia Pacific (baler operator)

• 1994 January 24th promoted to clamp truck driver (major accident in the

plant)

• 1998 Promoted to Plant Superintendent (accident free two years)

• 2001 Promoted to Plant Manager (another major accident)

• 2009 Regional Manufacturing Manager for Rocktenn

• 2012 Plant Manager Montgomery September 1st (Oct 24 major accident)

• 2015 Promoted January 11th to GM (Alabama Beat Clemson)

• 2016 Oct 22nd achieved 4 years Zero TWCCs and Recordables

• 2016 December attended OSHA 30hour course and ask to speak at this

Conference (nervous but proud and excited)

• 2017 January 6th on Friday morning at 8:30am 1532 days accident free

came to end.

A little history on my Journey with Safety

Engagement Montgomery Plant

• Each employee performs 2 Safety audits a month.

• An employee who has a documented positive safety coaching can

count as an audit.

• All employees perform a STEP card for upset conditions.

• Every quarter we celebrate employee engagement

• Employees pass the Safety coin every week to a team member who

displayed commendable safety behavior. Their picture in taken and

displayed on the board.

• Employees take part in monthly safety training, and weekly safety

tool box meetings

• Employees are encouraged to visit the Safety team meetings and

bring any comments or issues to the meeting

Montgomery Container – Safety- 4 years accident free before

January 6th

0.00 0.00

3.56

1.50

0.00 0.00 0.00

11.68

0.00

10.24

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

Montgomery Safety TWCC

Keys to Leadership and culture changes

• You must walk the walk (you cant talk your way out of what you

behave your way into)

• Leadership must know the expectations of everyone and enforce

with coaching and with real concern for the employees

• Everyone must understand we will never look the other way and

address issues (14 people were put on last chance agreements)

• Leadership at the top must have an open door policy and a real

vision for the plant to believe in to drive change

• Relentless pursuit of perfection (watch out for unintended

messages that production is more important than safety)